


Hallucination

by yankeetooter



Category: Chernobyl (TV 2019)
Genre: Hallucinations, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-02 16:31:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21164690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yankeetooter/pseuds/yankeetooter
Summary: Valery doesn't believe his eyes.





	Hallucination

Valery was getting sick. He could tell because all of a sudden, he couldn't get warm. He had no appetite, not even for sweets, and all he felt like doing is sleeping.

He supposed he had no one to blame besides himself. He hadn't been eating healthy foods at all and most nights he hadn't been going to bed before 3 a.m. His bladder got him up by 7 a.m. and then he couldn't fall back asleep.

More than all that, he was heartsick. Boris had been absent from his life for a year now, and there was no hope he would ever see him again. He'd hoped Boris could somehow find a way to see him, but as time passed, that looked less and less likely.

The next day he went to the trash bin to dump his trash. He was shivering uncontrollably in the early spring chill, and had to lean against the wall to keep upright. As he turned to go back in his building, everything began spinning. He passed out and the world went black.

Several hours later, he managed to crawl back inside, not trusting himself to stand upright. Apparently, the KGB could care less if he laid on the ground for several hours.

Valery kept drifting in and out of consciousness, and every time he came around nothing made sense. He was boiling hot. He tried to throw the covers off, but it was too hard as weak as he was. Dreams and nightmares plagued him, and reality seemed to mesh with fantasy.

_He was on a helicopter. A silver wolf gazed at him intently while the helicopter plummeted into what looked like the gates of hell. Valery felt himself sliding toward the open door. He tried to grab a chair, anything, to stop from slipping but his grasp was weak and he couldn't hold on. At the last second before he fell to his death the silver wolf grabbed him by the scruff of the neck in its jaws and threw him out of the helicopter but clear of the raging inferno._

Valery woke briefly. Sasha was on his bed, but she wasn't looking at him. She was hissing at...Charkov? Charkov was speaking while looking at Sasha. "Well, you get your wish, at least for a little while. You're to nurse him back to health."

Huh? Sasha was going to nurse him back to health? Unconsciousness claimed him again.

_Two little boys were taunting him in the schoolyard. He cheeks were flaming red with embarrassment. And he was burning up. Why was he so hot? The silver wolf appeared and leaped at the bullies. The one kept yelling, "I'm scared! Deeply, deeply scared!". The wolf chased them off, nipping at their heels._

Valery woke, sweating bullets. He managed to kick the blankets off, but that didn't seem to help. He clawed at his clothes. If he could just undress! The effort exhausted him and he felt faint. Gentle hands pressed a cool washcloth to his forehead while a raspy voice soothed him. That voice, it sounded so familiar!

_Vslery was caught in quicksand! He struggled to get out of the deep sand, but every time he thought he would make it, giant birds flying overhead dropped more sand on him. He would be buried!_

Sasha nosed at him gently, her nose cold against his face. He tried to raise his hand to stroke her, but it took too much effort. From the other room, he heard a rumbling voice singing softly. Who was that? He tried to call out but the darkness claimed him again.

He's so hot; it's unbearable! Then, he's moving, but not under his own power. He's being dragged upright somewhere and those gentle hands are removing his clothes. But it doesn't help. He's a reactor core about to explode, the heat skyrocketing towards disaster.

The sound of running water. Raspy voice, speaking again, something about him burning up? 

_I know. I'm a reactor core. Press the AZ button, before it's too late! Wait...or not?_

Then, blessed coolness. Water hitting his skin. How does it not instantly evaporate? Gradually, the raging fire goes out. He's as weak as a baby, but strong arms support him.

Then he's shivering uncontrollably. Being wrapped up in a towel. He's so cold! Being carried back to bed. Blankets piled on top, but still he can't stop shivering. Then the old silver wolf crawls into bed next to him. But he's not covered in fur. No, instead bare skin is touching him, holding him, finally warming him.

"Hush now, Valera! Sleep!"

Valery wakes hours later, naked in bed next to Boris. The warmth of the other man is comforting. Wait...Boris? No, it must be another dream! He looks over and meets Boris' eyes. Borja?

"Welcome back, Valera! I was quite worried about you! The fever finally broke last night."

"Borja. It is you! But, but you were a wolf, and you...." Valery went on telling Boris about his dreams while Boris listened, one eyebrow raised.

"Valera, never let it be said scientists have no imagination!" Boris declared, planting a kiss on Valery's forehead.


End file.
